Wednesday, March 19, 2014

“And if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your
heart and not in the hand of the feared.”- Kahlil Gibran

Well, not too long ago
a journalist friend asked me what I think of the obtaining democratic space in the
country. My answer was simply that, “perhaps, we don’t need democracy!” And
this is because, when one comparatively observes the presently obtaining
practice of democracy to that in the past, one is left with a cold chill up his
or her spine. It is a parody of democratic practice!

The fact that one organized
his or her party, campaigned and voted freely (or not so acceptably freely) in
September 2011, is evidence enough that at least the government adhered to the fundamental
principles of democracy. Respect for human rights, and in particular the right to
choice (personal liberty) and, freedoms of expression, movement, assembly and
association.

In arguing this, I am
also aware of the fact that in 2011 there were instances of disrespect of
freedom of expression, and assembly. Disrespect of freedom of assembly, being mostly
through use of the Public Order Act by the police to deny assembly for
political party campaigns.

Thus, for instance, the
2011 CSEC election Report observes that of a total of 770 political campaign events
observed, only 4.3 percent cases of denial of freedom to assemble were recorded,
with “no incidents of denial observed in Northern and
Western provinces”[1].

But interestingly and ironically,
the Report also notes, “As a proportion of the total observed political
campaign events, the right to hold an event does not evidence any critical
incidents, but for marginal incidents for MMD (1.9%), PF (0.9%) and UPND(0.9%).”

The party in power was
also denied the right to assemble![2] A case of police non-partisanship
and professionalism? Maybe.

Anyway, Plato,
observes, “Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy”, and I cannot fault him. This
is mostly because in our impoverished country, the most people know about
democracy is “euphorically and sometimes dementedly shouting the need to vote
for their candidates”, waiting to vote and voting.

That democracy, in
addition to the holding of periodic elections by universal suffrage, is also
founded on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, is alien to most
of our people.

This is unfortunate and
a serious mockery of democracy. Perhaps, nobody (CSOs included) teaches the
general populace of the link between respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms, and their ability to assemble and communicate the ideals of their
preferred candidate or political party.

An election does not
occur in a vacuum. That one is able to vote freely is evidence of one’s ability
to express themselves on who should represent them and why. This is linked to
the fulfillment of freedom of choice or the right to personal liberty. It is
also linked to freedoms of conscience, expression, assembly and association, and
movement.

Further, for there to
be elections in a democracy there has to be groups of individuals (political
parties)[3] competing
to be chosen by the people to rule on
their behalf. To do this, they need to freely exercise their fundamental
rights and freedoms. This is because they need to both organize themselves as a
political party, and to communicate their ideals to their members and the
general populace.

Clearly, the present government’s unequivocal resurgence of exercise of repressive colonial laws (in
particular the Public Order Act) that negate fundamental rights and freedoms
critical to a democracy is making citizens impotent with respect to participating
in their own governance.

We must understand that
human rights as proclaimed in the Constitution of Zambia and international
instruments are simply a socio-political and economic contract between the
citizenry and the government. In this contract, the government is compelled not
do to something against its citizenry (like not to impinge on freedom of
expression, assembly and association). The citizenry on the other hand is compelled
not to do something that can likely constrain the government in its pursuits of
its obligations, in so far as there is no State failure.

Today, we are in a catch-22.
Media reports of people trying to hear a political party’s message, being beaten
up; political parties being denied the right to assemble; and, international
human rights observer Reports providing evidence of escalation in human rights abuses
is certainly clear evidence that the government is not meeting its part of the human
rights bargain.

Undoubtedly, the
understanding that respect for human rights and democracy are mutually
reinforcing, and are a precondition and foundation of democracy is not only
lost on the current government, but also on us the people.

In hindsight, thus,
like I said in the beginning, perhaps, we don’t need democracy. But we should
know that the consequences can be terrible. There will be breakdown of
acceptable democratic governance, and increased civil and political
dissent.

Is this what we desire
as a country? The answer is no. Our plea to the government of the day is that acts
that are criminalising the right of a
people to freely assemble or dissent should be stopped. We plead, as we also
know that the most manifest dark side of democracy is legitimised illegal acts.

[2] This is
not the only ironical incident observed. The CSEC Report also notes, “.. observed incidents of use of Government resources for
campaign purposes occurred in 31 constituencies. Fifty-eight point one percent(58.1%)
of the incidents were observed at MMD campaign events, with those observed at
PF and UPND events constituting 16.1% and 12.9% respectively.”

Monday, March 17, 2014

Fore note: Often I write, "in this country we always arrive where we left", and today I went to my commentary archive to show why. The issues are still the same a decade later.

September 12, 2003

Last
week, I attempted to show that the mislaid assertion that I hate Mwanawasa,
Nevers Mumba and country is a manifestation of failure of reason. I did not
dwell on the question of country as it is the subject I now seek to address.

But first, if I may briefly concern myself with the name on most
people’s lips – Cherise. So Cherise won
the “immoral and un-African” big brother Africa
reality TV show. She is a role model,
hardworking, and all the baloney many are according her. The government has
even honoured her with a diplomatic passport.

The only concern with the baloney is the “African and Zambian values
role model” acclaim. It seems in our
contradiction of existence and identity a human that enjoys early morning
household chores and cooking is an African woman. Before we get steeped into the “role model”
acclaim, we should seek to understand whether Cherise enjoys early morning
chores and cooking simply because she is human or a woman. If Cherise enjoys the chores and cooking
simply because she is human, then I too will acclaim her. But, if the contrary,
then surely Cherise can not be a role model in current times, as this merely
perpetuates the stereotype thinking that a woman is nothing but a vacuum
cleaner and food dispenser!

Any way, congrats Cherise, even
though I still do not know what big brother was all about and why some pastor
somewhere decided to petition ZNBC TV.

This week, a question of an intravenous drip brought to mind the
apparent failure of reason in a citizenry’s relationship with the State of
Zambia. Whilst under the blade of a
young barber, I learnt that in most clinics patients have to provide gloves,
syringes and even drips! This in a
country whose government is a ‘new deal’ was unnerving, and hence intellectual
trespass was in order.

When questioned on his political preference, the young man was vehement
in asserting his support for the ruling party.
An attempt to show the young man that if the party in government was as
good as he argued, he would not have had to buy four sachets of intravenous (IV) fluid for his
aging father, elicited failure of reason.

“Ba Mudala, ifya ba MMD fi mapolitikisi, ifya ba bbali fya fipatala.”
(Old man, the issue of the MMD is politics; the issue of my father is about
hospitals).

In his sentiments, it was clear that our reality and our continued
socio-economic and political derangement lies in our inability to bridge the
gap between the people we vote for and our daily livelihoods.

Politics and hospitals are inseparable.

That the health sector is decaying is both politics and because of the
obtaining political ineptness. It is irresponsible for the citizenry to show
fanatical support for a party that does not seem to alleviate their everyday
livelihood constraints. The sooner people like the young barber comprehend
this, the better for this country.

The health sector in this country is in a pathetic state. It is not
enough to continually trumpet the donor-instigated poverty reduction or
corruption lullaby, without due recognition of the immediate plight of
Christopher. The average doctor per population ratio in this country is one
doctor per 16 000 persons. Provinces like Luapula have one doctor for nearly
145 000 persons! The doctors are out-migrating, and the government is busy
issuing in-migration visas to deputy ministers and DAs.

Mind you the country’s
health strategic plan affirms that the health sector reforms will “provide
Zambians with equity of access..., quality health care…” The problem with nearly all of this country’s
reforms is that the average citizen only sees new vehicles emblazoned
“something reform, or something capacity building,” or indeed a continually
elongating government.

Consider, the two deputy
ministers per ministry. Surely, either the fellows in government are dull or
this country’s civil service inertia is so overwhelming that ministries need
more elective personnel. Come to think of it, may be it will be prudent if
Mwanawasa and Nevers Mumba fired all the civil servants and replaced them with
deputy ministers and DAs. No. Fire the deputy ministers and DAs, then may be
the young barber will not have to buy a drip for his father!

Sorry for the digression,
back to the barber.

The young barber did not
have to buy an IV for his father because this country is poor, but, in part,
because this country’s leaders are ineffectual, contradictory and not worthy
looking up to. If not, why should the
young barber have to buy a drip, and not simply have government fly his father
to South Africa
like they do their kind?

In addition, this country
is poor and will continue being poor because the citizenry is seriously
irresponsible. For decades now there has been the misplaced belief that
sycophancy, denial of ones’ impoverishment is patriotism. In my travels, I have
met Zambians who vehemently admonish me for being categorical in asserting that
my country is one of the poorest of the poor.

We are poor and a
pathetic lot, period! The sooner we accept it than burying our sorry heads in
the sand like an ostrich the better for ourselves and Christopher. It must
always be understood that a wrong or problem can only be solved when it is
first identified and accepted.

That one, that accepts
the realities of one’s country hates his or her country, or is not patriotic is
a misplaced assertion.

Patriotism is
responsibility, commitment and dedication to ones country and citizenry. Patriotism is not loyalty to an individual
that today is president or vice-president. After all, that individual may
tomorrow be a thief, foolish or mentally deranged, and the one that once
asserted misplaced patriotism will be the one that stands up and throws the
first stone.

And by the way, the
patriots are arguing that all concerned should attend the great Indaba. Cabinet office this week issued a statement
saying all those that seek to attend, should put it in writing. As the years
pass by, I can not cease to believe that these fellows in the current
government are on a conspiracy to age me faster than I should. How can I write
seeking to attend something I have no idea about?

Are we ever going to do
something right in this country? Forget the Indaba, since they do not know what
the ‘ndaba’ is. Why should they be in
government, if it has to be you and me to tell them what the ‘ndaba’ is?

When conceived beyond
politics, could be Cherise, a drip and patriotism all coalesce to manifest a
country where there is a deliberate lack of discourse on
linkages between political office and one’s livelihood.

After all, the political landscape is not short of individuals that can
articulate linkages between lack of a drip and Mwanawasa’s or Mumba’s inability
to provide developmental stewardship. The problem as I see it is that most
politicians in this country know too well that they are better placed to parody
as saviours only in an environment of ignorance.

Ciao.
Do not forget to touch a child today, and please also give an affectionate
handshake to a cop.